Track-hanger.



A. W. KNUTSON.

TRACK HANGER.

APPLICATION HLED 1uLY1B,l91s

1,214,177.. Patented t1m30.1917.

I ,l ,J

ATTORNEY,

E@ STATES TE E* i QE.-

ALFBED W. KNUTSON, OF GALESBURG, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ROXVE MANUFACTURING CO., OF GALESBURG, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

TRACK-HANGER.

Laia-iw.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 30, 1917.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED W. KNUTSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Galesburg, in the county of Knox and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Track-Hanger, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for sustaining elevated tracks.

In hanging tracks in old buildings it is frequently difficult to successfully do so without taking many measurements and having a special equipment for each building, primarily because the beams, rafters and other parts of the framework are not arranged at equal heights, have sunk, are diagonal or at an angle to the horizon, etc.

One of the main objects of my' invention is to provide hanger-sustaining means whereby the track-supporting elements may with ease and facility be successfully connected with the rafters, joists, etc., of a building, even though they vary greatly in their respective heights, whereby the hangeryokes and track need not be mounted until the beam or joist-engaging elements have been secured in places.

Another object is to provide coacting track-hanger elements a portion of which may be instantly engaged with or detached from the others, whereby to quickly hang or with equal rapidity take down a track.

Another object is to provide a novel securing-plate.

A still further object is to provide a novel track-sustaining yoke.

Still another object is to utilize a common form of track, provided with circular instead of specially shaped openings adapted to be engaged by the yoke.

It is a still further object to provide novel means for locking the track to the yoke.

The general object may therefore be said to be to enhance the utility, eiiiciency and desirability of the completed article.

By way of example a. track-hanger constructed operatively and according to my invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a transverse section of a track and a suspending-beam, the yoke and plate shown in side elevation; Fig. 2, a front or face elevation, showing the beam-plate secured in one way to a beam; Fig. 3 an enlarged fragmental sectional detail of the upper end of the yoke, showing by dotted lines the manner of engaging the beam-plate therewith or of disengaging it therefrom; Fig. 4, an enlarged top plan detail of the coacting portions of the plate and yoke; Fig. 5, an elevation, shown from the rear side, of the lower portion of the yoke and that portion of the track shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 6, an enlarged perspective detail; Fig. 7, a front elevation of the hanger-plate and means for attaching it to a part of the building-frame which is out of line with other parts of the frame; Fig. 8, a top plan detail of the head 12; and Fig. 9, a modification, partly in section and partly' in elevation, presently more fully described.

Like numerals of reference indicate the same part throughout the specification and in the several figures of the drawing, 2 indicates one of the beams, rafters or other parts of the framework of a building, and 2 indicates another beam thereof but lying in a different horizontal plane therefrom. It may be well to state at this time that the beam 2 may be assumed to be diagonally arranged.

3 designates a beam-plate having a shank 4, mushroom head 5, perforations 6 and lugs 7. There the frame pieces (beams, rafters, etc.) are of such heights that the plates may be so secured thereto that the track may be level, or, if it be so desired, that it may run on an incline, nails 8 or the like may be driven through the apertures 6, into the frame pieces, to sustain the plates.

The rail 9 is preferably I-shaped in cross section, provided in its web with annular apertures 10, and may be made up of any number of short rails or segments.

Each yoke comprises a body portion 11 having an incurved upper portion or head 12 and a similarly curved lower portion or foot 13. Through the head 12 is a vertically arranged slot 14: for the edgewise passage of the plate-head 5, and transversely to said slot is a recess 15 adapted to receive the shank 4c during the primary part of the operation of assembling the plate and yoke. The lower surface of the head 12 is recessed to provide a pocket 16 which receives the head 5. The yoke-foot is provided with an elongated eye 17 for the reception of the stem of a bolt 18 having a square shank 19 and threads 20. The eye 17 is shown as cutaway at 21, and one of its ends had is formed by an annular boss 22 projecting from an annular shoulder 23. The eye at this end is square, as indicated by 24, (Fig. 6) in order to prevent the bolt from turning therein.

As has earlier herein been stated, 1t is frequently a difficult matter, because of the irregularity (as regards height) of the various beams, rafters, ete., to properly support the plates. Many subterfuges have been resorted to, but all have been objectionable, requiring many measurements in order that the proper length parts be shipped from the factory. Inasmuch as the measurements were usually taken by an unskilled person, and because of the liability at the factory to make errors in reading the measurements or in shipping the many various length pieces of like nature, and further owing to the likelihood of error in placement, all these resorts have been extremely unsatisfactory. To cure this I have provided the lugs 7 on the plate 3, which are adapted to engage the proper ones of apertures 26 in a perforated strip of strapmetal, 27, whereupon the lugs are riveted. Nails 8 or the like are then used to secure the other end of the strip to the framepieces 2. These strips may be quickly cut, to any desired length, from a roll, and by the use of these devices the track-hanger may be positioned with as great precision as though the beams were all in the same horizontal plane.

In the modification (Fig. 9) I have shown the plate 3 and strip 27 as provided each with a series of apertures designated respectively by 6 and 26. A bolt or the like, 7 is passed through selective pairs of said apertures, whereby to adjust the plate 3 to the proper height, in horizontal alinement with the others. 35 designates a securing nut. It will be evident that numerous other means might be employed for holding the plate 3 and strap 27 in adjusted engagement, and I comprehend my invention as of sufficient scope to embrace and cover all such.

One of the features most to be desired in this art is that it be possible and practical to secure in position all the beam-plates before attaching the yokes and track thereto. With my devices this may be readily done, for in order to assemble each yoke and plate it is but necessary 'to tip the former to a horizontal position, (concave side upper- Inost,) pass the shank 4 into the recess 15 and the head 5 edgewise into the slot 5, and to then bring the yoke to a vertical position, whereupon the head 5 will seat in the recess 16 and the yoke will be firmly suspended.

To position the track one of the openings 10 therein is seated over the boss 22, the rail-web resting on the shoulder23. The bolt 18 is then positioned through the eye 17, its angular portion 19 seating in and being prevented from rotation by the correspondingly shaped terminal 24 of said eye, whereupon a nut 30 may be engaged with the threads 20. This arrangement serves as a lock-nut, for the bolt-head 31 is bearing against one end of the eye and the nut against the other, the track being held loosely between them. The bolt-head, it 1s to be noted, seats in the channel of the I-beam, flush with its heads and in such position that there is no danger of it being struck by any part of the carrier.

Having thus described the nature of my invention I claim`as new the following, namely:

1. Thecombination with a buildingframework member, of a suspended track comprising a sustaining element having a button-like head, said sustaining element secured rigidly to said framework member, a track-supporting element having a slot adapted to be engaged with said head after the first recited element has been fixed in position, and a track supported by said track-supporting element.

2. The combination with framework member, of a Suspended track comprising a sustaining element having button-like head, said sustaining element secured rigidly to said framework member, a track-supporting element having a slot adapted to be engaged with or disconnected from said head after the first recited element has been fixed in position, and a track supported by said supporting element.

3. In a track-hanger, a sustaining-element provided with lugs, a strap provided with apertures adapted to be engaged by said lugs after the sustaining element has been fixed in operative position, a track-supportingv element engaged with said sustaining element, and a track supported by said supporting element. Y

4. In a track-hanger, a yoke having at its upper end a slot and a recess communicating with the slot, a beam-plate having a shank and a head, the former adapted to move in said recess and the latter to be passed through said slot, whereby to engage said head with the upper end of said yoke, and a track supported by the yoke.

5. In a track-hanger, a track having circular apertures in its web, a track-supporting element provided with an eye and with a boss through which the eye extends, said boss seated in one of said apertures, a bolt non-rotatably seated in said eye and passi ing also through one of said apertures, and a nut engaging said bolt and thereby securing said track to said supporting element.

6. In a track-hanger, a track-supporting element having an offset end portion provided with an eye and with a boss, the latter at one terminal of and surrounding said eye, a track having a web provided with an apa building erture through which said boss projects, a bolt passing through said eye and aperture, and a nut adapted to engage said bolt Whereby to lock the recited elements together.

7. In a track-hanger, a plate adapted to be secured to the framework of a barn, said plate provided With a lug projecting transversely from its body portion and provided also With a shank and a head, said shank arranged at a right angle to said lug, a sustaining-strap having an eye through Which said lug passes, said lug adapted to be riveted therein, and a track supporting element sustained by said head.

8. In a track-hanger, a yoke having an offset head and an offset foot, said head provided with a vertically arranged slot and with a recess communicating with it and arranged at right angles thereto, and provided in its lower face with a pocket., a sustaining plate having a shank and a head, the former adapted to move in said recess and to seat in said slot, and the latter to pass through said slot and seat in said recess, and a track supported by said foot.

9. In combination in a track-hanger, a strap provided with a series of apertures, a sustaining-plate pendant from and adapted to be supported at different points along said strap, a track-supporting element sustained by said plate, and a track supported by the last recited element.

10. In combination in a track-hanger, a metallic strap having a longitudinally arranged series of perforations, a plate arranged in a lower horizontal plane than said strap and havingl a portion adapted to engage a. selective one of said perforations, and a track-supporting element engaged With said plate.

11. In a track-hanger, a track, a yokelike element to Which it is secured, an element detachably connected With and supporting the yoke-like element, and a perforated metallic strap securable to a building frame member, arranged in a horizontal plane above the preceding recited elements, and adapted to support the last recited element at different heights, as desired.

12. In a track-hanger, a track-supporting element having an eye and a boss through which the eye extends, a track having an aperture in which said boss seats, and means passing through said eye and aperture whereby the track may be secured on said boss.

13. In a track-hanger, a track-supporting element having at one of its ends a boss, a track seated on said boss, and an element passing through apertures in said track and supporting element and uniting them.

14. In a tracl -hanger, a track-supporting element having at one of its ends a boss and having an eye which extends through said boss, a bolt passing through said eye, its

head resting on one end thereof, a nut engaging said bolt and resting against the other end of saideye, .and a track having an aperture through which said boss passes, said track being loosely held on said boss.

15. In a track-hanger, a track having a hole in its web, a track-supporting element provided with an eye and With a boss through which said eye passes, said boss seated in the hole in the track, a bolt passing through said hole and eye, and a nut on said bolt.

16. In a track-hanger, a track having al hole in its Web, a track-supporting element provided with an eye, a track-supporting element provided With an eye and with aboss through Which the eye passes, said boss seated in said hole in the track and thicker than the web of the track, a bolt passing through said hole and eye, and a nut on said bolt.

17. In a track-hanger, a track-supporting element having a boss, the cross-section of Which is substantiallv the same throughout its length, a track having an opening in which said boss seats, andv means for securing the track on said boss.

18. In a track-hanger, a track-supporting element having a portion provided With an eye and with a boss, the latter surrounding said eye, a track having a web through which said boss passes, and means passing through said eye and holding said track on said boss.

19. In a track-hanger, a track having an opening through its web, a supporting element therefor provided With a horizontally arranged opening in one of its terminals and With an opening through Which said opening extends, said boss seated in the opening in the Web of th-e track, and a securing element passing through both of said openings.

20. In a track-hanger, a track having an opening in its web, a supporting element having a horizontally arranged lower'end provided With a horizontally arranged eye and with an opening through Which said opening extends, said boss seated in the opening in the web of the track, and a securing element passed through said eye and said opening in the Web of the track.

Q1. Combined in a track-hanger, a metallic strap having a longitudinally arranged series of perforations, a yoke-sustaining plate pendent therefrom, means for connecting it With a selective of said perforations, a track-supporting yoke sustained by and pendent from the yoke-sustaining plate, and a track supported by the yoke.

22. In a track-hanger, a track sustaining element having an inwardly turned end provided With an eye one end portion of which is angular', a track supported by said end, a bolt having an angular portion Which seats in the angular portion of the eye, said tact With the track supporting element, and bolt passing also through the web of the a nut on said bolt and in Contact With the l) track, and means for securing the bolt in track supporting element, said bolt and nut place. disposed at opposite ends of said eye.

23. In a track-hanger, a track-Supporting In testimony whereof I hereunto aX my element having an eye, a track having an signature this 14th day of July, 1916. aperture in its Web, a bolt passing through said eye and aperture and its head in con- ALFRED W. KNUTSON.

Copies o! this patent may be obtained tor ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

